Contractors are part of the solution

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The structures we build are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and power use. That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news: Contractors can and do have a positive impact on climate change. In observance of Earth Day, we talked to Zoltan Nagy, PhD, a senior research fellow with non-profit org Project Drawdown, dedicated to promoting and identifying ways to reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, to understand more about how contractors can be a part of the solution.

Why is it important to make buildings better for the planet?

Buildings account for roughly 30% of CO₂ emissions in the US and around 75% of electricity consumption. Thus, the way we design, construct, operate and deconstruct buildings has a direct impact on our greenhouse gas emissions. Construction companies turn the designs of architects and engineers into reality. [They] have to execute the construction process… to ensure that the specified energy and emission savings are indeed achieved in the operation of a building.

What are two practices contractors can adopt right now?

Limiting idling and site sustainability plans. Chapter 10 of the International Green Construction Code provides guidance for the construction process and related operations. For example, there are limits on the idling of construction vehicles—no more than five minutes idling in any 60-minute period—and a requirement to prepare a plan for site sustainability and hand it over to the owner.

Can more planet-friendly practices help keep costs down?

Electrification and increased efficiency are both becoming cheaper, planet-friendly practices. Li-ion battery prices have become very cheap in the last few years and electric vehicles are overtaking gas combustion cars and trucks in many markets. Similarly, electrification of construction machinery, also made possible by Li-ion batteries, can reduce construction costs due to less maintenance, lower fuel costs and increased efficiency.

What else should contractors know?

ProjectDrawdown features interviews with construction pros and other trades people discussing how they're reducing the harmful impacts of building and the built environment, including Travis Charles Banks, project manager and principal of New Orleans' Gravel Road Builders & Construction Services, on implementing sustainable building practices and green infrastructure. Another one is Steve Place, horticulturist at Georgia Tech, on constructing spaces that instill hope and help the environment. And Jan Hagerman, manager with the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore, on the benefits of the circular economy.

Edited for brevity and clarity. 

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The Level is written by Margot Lester and edited by Bianca Prieto.